Discarded cigarette causes fire at JC Longhorn Steakhouse

The Jefferson City Fire Department responded with four engines, two ladder trucks and 19 personnel to fight a fire at Longhorn Steakhouse on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Julie Smith.

By News Tribune

Thursday, June 14, 2012

A discarded cigarette is believed to have caused a fire that burned a portion of a Jefferson City restaurant, Thursday afternoon, causing an estimated $40,000 in damage.

According to Jefferson City Fire Department reports, the fire at Longhorn Steakhouse, 3545 Missouri Boulevard, was called in around 4 p.m.

When crews arrived on the scene smoke was coming from the building.

The fire started in an outside decorative mulch area on the west side of the building.

The flames went up the outside of the building into the upper interior portion of the structure.

The restaurant was evacuated and no injuries were reported.

It took fire fighters about 15 minutes to bring the fire under control.

Most of the fire damage was to the outside of the building, but there was water and smoke damage to the inside of the restaurant, with the waiting area and bar area getting the worst of the damage.

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JCLifer 11 months, 1 week ago

I hope they catch and prosecute this smoker. Many smkoers are very inconsiderate and think the world is their ashtray.

i don't think smokers want to set the world on fire. now if the smoker did intentionally set the fire yes, prosecute away. but i don't think they will find out who did this. for all we know, it could have been a worker on a smoke break.

JCLifer 11 months, 1 week ago

Someone improperly discarded a lit cigarette. They did not ise the container provided. Careless jerks.

kentheco 11 months, 1 week ago

Careless, maybe; inconsiderate, maybe; jerk, maybe, but I don’t know the details since even the fire department didn’t say the exact cause. However, I do wonder why businesses would put flammable material next to their buildings. If we want to talk about inconsiderate people or jerks let’s talk about parents who leave used diapers in parking lots, people that spit on sidewalks or dump the trash from their cars in public areas? As an ex-smoker, I would rather pick up cigarette butts (as I did in the military) than pick up one ripe diaper that a parent/care-giver was too lazy to dispose of properly.

Hendy1977 11 months, 1 week ago

I bet they would have used an ashtray if the business still had the freedom to CHOOSE if they wanted to allow smoking at their establishment instead of being told how to run their business. Everybody around here says they want less govt regulation involved in business then they vote for more regulation.. PEOPLE FORGET WE LIVE IN A REPUBLIC NOT A DEMOCRACY! Our founding fathers knew the majority would infringe upon ther rights of the minority therfore they created a republic. If it wasn't for the indoctrination over the last 30 years smoking bans would even exist.

newone 11 months, 1 week ago

Quit your whining , everyone is tired of hearing it! The ban passed, no businesses went under and now everyone can enjoy a meal without having to inhale a bunch of nasty smoke forced on us by people like you.

spelchek 11 months, 1 week ago

"Quit your whining , everyone is tired of hearing it!" -- says the whiner whining about others whining. Here, have some cheese.

newone 11 months, 1 week ago

nope not whining, just letting them know everyone is sick of hearing it and its time to move on, but thanks and have a great weekend! :-)

kentheco 11 months, 1 week ago

Just watched KRCG who reported that the fire started before the restaurant was open for business.

JCsleeper 11 months, 1 week ago

Two steakhouses out of business in a week. Guess beef ain't for dinner.

2warped757 11 months, 1 week ago

Yeah - let's blame everyone except the careless smoker.

spelchek 11 months, 1 week ago

OK. Voters muscled private business owners to force smokers outside to smoke away from ash trays thus putting more butts on the ground.

John 11 months, 1 week ago

In this case majority rule does NOT equal democracy stuff (as you so elquently wrote), democracy would allow the owner to operate HIS (or HER) business as HE (or she) desires.

Somehow, majority vote has gotten inside homes and businesses and force owners to do things differently than the owner wants. A steakhouse should be able to allow smoking. If their business fails because of it or if their bottom line suffers because of it, then sobeit, it is their choce for THEIR business. The eater does NOT HAVE TO utilize that business.

newone 11 months, 1 week ago

sorry but smokers smoked outside and put the butts on the ground WAY before the smoking ban ever happened, but nice try.

Idlehour 11 months, 1 week ago

I don't understand the mentality of smokers that throwing cigarettes (lit or unlit) on the ground isn't littering. Most of us would never throw a cup or paper on the ground. Why is it ok to throw a cigarette butt, or empty one's ashtray, on the ground? It's filty.

newone 11 months, 1 week ago

Because most smokers just don't care, they don't care about harming other people, they don't care about throwing trash on the ground which is exatly why it passed, people are sick of it!

LadyLiberty 11 months, 1 week ago

why does it have to be all inclusive? It's not "most" smokers, I don't throw my cig out the window, I empty mine in my own "forced" waste can. Blame some but you can't blame all. Makes me mad when I see it, heck don't even smoke in my own home.

newone 11 months, 1 week ago

Last time I checked "most" did not mean all!

LadyLiberty 11 months, 1 week ago

Try not to go on attack, this is a simple post. Most grown up's handle discussion in an adult like manner.

spelchek 11 months, 1 week ago

"I don't understand the mentality of..." -- That's a loaded statement.

Paroquet 11 months, 1 week ago

"filthy" Nope. Quite sterile, actually.

Offensive? Sure, it can be. So can a lot of cover scents (perfumes, colognes, lotions, oils, etc.).

"The ban passed" Sure did. Know when? The last time I sat down to eat at a restaurant in JC.

The cause is speculative. Cigarettes are easy to blame. Just like the time Springfield (Green Co. Health) tried to pin a Hep-A outbreak on pot smokers passing joints. Turns out it was a cook at a Wafflehouse who got it from a restaurant supply truck driver and the only thing they could cypher then (after he was tested for the disease and drugs) was...still up for speculation. You know, sometimes catalytic converters will spit super-heated flakes of stuff out of a vehicle's exhaust? Did you know that mulch and other compost can spontaneously combust?

There. I present two demonstrable, reasonable doubts as to the causative agent.

Hendy1977 11 months, 1 week ago

newone just a little fyi I don't smoke. I just believe in property owners rights. How would you like it if i said you can no longer searve coffee with breakfast. Nobody has a problem giving away some one elses freedoms as long as it doesn't impose on them!

JCNYer 11 months, 1 week ago

Wait, it said the fire happened BEFORE they opened? Unless it was an employee, who was around a closed restaurant?

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